13 Top Tips For Real Estate Video Marketing

Answering a question is always a good place to start in a blog. In this case, video marketing is the act of creating a real estate video to attract a specific group of people to your real estate business. Having the right branding is essential. Your own name, business card, websites need to be unique to your real estate company. Your videos are no different, and need to feature your own branding such as colours, fonts and logos. 

 

Video is such an impactful way of showcasing certain aspects of your real estate business. There are a variety of different types of real estate videos that you could use, maybe a video about your business, a testimonial video, a day in the life of your job, the list is endless.

 

Each real estate video type can be of interest to different segments within your audience. By giving people something they are interested in while also sharing your company, you can build awareness and loyalty.

 

All of this sounds great in theory but why is this needed specifically for real estate? Read on to find out more.

Real estate marketing has a very visual appeal. People love to look at properties for sale as well as watching tv shows about house makeovers.

We’ve all seen some show about DIY gone wrong while people scramble to fix it right? Why not capitalise on this interest and create marketing content that will intrigue people.

 

Real estate can encompass not only the business and the property, but also the neighborhood and lifestyle surrounding the area. You can use the most innovative video technology to create stunning high-quality content.

Getting stuck into real estate video marketing might seem daunting, but fear not. These 13 top tips will get you ready to start your journey and inspire you to make the best real estate video your marketing team has ever seen. 

You have two main options for video marketing. You can do it in house or you can pay for someone to take control of it.

Both are valid options but you just need to know which is the best option for you to suit your budget. Go with your gut (and your wallet!)

 

Although this may seem like an expensive option there are a number of benefits of using someone who specialises in this field. Not only do they have all the necessary equipment but they can advise you on the various approaches you could take to get your desired result.

As the expert in this situation, you can be sure that your content will be of premium quality and that you can trust them to do a good job.

 

Most videographers will even choose the best options from the shoot and manufacture the video on professional software.

Freelance videographers are easily found. Before investing in this, do your research and make sure you’ve got the right person for the job and at a price that suits both parties!

One way of doing this is to use the equipment or people you have at your fingertips. If there is someone in the office with the skills you could ask them to get involved in the real estate video project.

This may mean having to buy the equipment but they don’t have to be new! Online stores offer a number of second hand cameras with huge discounts.

 

If video and photography are to become key elements of your real estate video marketing strategy it might make sense for you to invest in the equipment.

There are plenty of short courses in videography and photography online also. So despite it being more expensive initially than hiring a videographer, having the equipment and skills within the business gives you full control over the project and creative direction!

 

There are multiple options available to your real estate business and the marketing team. But investing in video marketing is a foolproof move.

Identify your needs and you can make the best decision for your company! Either way, no matter what route you take to create your real estate video, your real estate company will benefit from having some content.

You know what they say “Fail to prepare, Prepare to fail”. A plan is essential for any business looking to have a successful real estate project.

When it comes to video marketing for real estate, you have to be ready, an off the cuff approach won’t cut it. After all you’re trying to sell not only a property but your real estate business and most importantly the dream.

No matter is this is an introductory video for local TV or a huge promotion for a national campaign to sell a mega mansion. You need to have a layout for the real estate video and the day for this marketing project to be successful.

Here’s an example for you, wanting to get a shot of the property in the daylight but then going out after work when the sun is setting, doesn’t make sense right?

By knowing your vision you can make sure that your real estate video has a logical flow.

By creating a vision board or a planned layout everyone knows what is going on and you can ensure that every single piece of the real estate video puzzle has been completed. It will also help create the video in the end. 

Think about a video shoot, if you were to focus on Hollywood you would think of people running around and props flying everywhere.

In reality, all you need is a setting and a camera, you don’t even need people! In most situations though you will have a few people interacting with each other or something in the scene.

If you’re featuring people in the content you need to give them ample warning of what to wear, what their role is, etc.

There are many things to consider when it comes to organising a project like this, be prepared and you’ll be able to handle any situation!

Becoming a project manager for the video is one thing that should not be ignored. These shoots can be complicated but don’t get bogged down if the weather doesn’t go your way or if someone cancels.

Things change and by being organised you can adapt to fit the new situation.

Video marketing really is worth it, don’t be put off if your real estate marketing team aren’t the most organised, you can make it work!

We discussed earlier that your options for video were to hire a videographer or buy some camera equipment.

But what if I told you there was an entire world dedicated to creating content using just your mobile phone.

It may not suit all your real estate video needs but there is definite room for this in your marketing game.

Everyone has a phone these days, these portable devices have become part of our lives and most people don’t leave the house without their phone.

With this in mind, one massive benefit of using your phone to shoot is that it is light and therefore very dynamic. You can easily take your phone out of your pocket and shoot some video.

 

There are many apps available that you can use to optimize the camera on your phone. Filmic Pro is one such app that allows users to alter things such as frame rate, shutter speed and image focus.

Mobile is becoming the new king of content; with image and video content being created so easily, it’s sure to stick around!

Although there are many who say that camera equipment like lights, tripods etc. are the only way to go when shooting video, mobile content has made leaps and bounds to improve the capabilities of the phone.

You can now buy handheld devices to remove any unsteadiness of the phone, microphones that sync to your device and as said previously apps to unlock features of your phone camera.

 

Mobile devices also allow users to get close to the subject without any awkwardness! Mobile feature films have been created which shows that it is capable to create premium content on a phone.

If investing in equipment is not an option, using your phone is a good starting point for your real estate video journey.

 

With mobile you could have video testimonials, this way you won’t intimidate the subjects with a massive camera, or maybe you shoot a live real estate video for your social media.

Mobile is something to take note of for real estate marketing. Professional results using just a phone, if this doesn’t interest you then you shouldn’t be making videos!

There are a number of different video types that you could use for your real estate marketing.

Identifying your needs is the most important factor here, are you trying to sell a property, are you trying to answer questions or promote your business?

Once you figure out what your end goal is you can try to establish the best means to get there.

If you’re looking to promote your real estate business, interviews are one way to make them personal. You could interview staff about their roles and successes or you could interview past clients for a video testimonial.

These real estate video ideas are fantastic for promoting both authenticity and achievements which is key with building trust with potential clients.

What’s the best way to sell a property? Let it sell itself. With a property tour you can highlight the best things about the land or house.

Has it got any distinct features? Now is the time to show these off.

House tours also make the real estate video relatable and can allow those who may be interested in the property to view it without having to travel.

Throughout the process of buying a property people have many questions. Whether it’s about the property itself, the real estate team or even something like taxes, it can be quite confusing.

One way you could help these people and also have stellar engagement is by doing a Q&A video.

You can do this on a live video on social media or a shoot to post on YouTube or your website. Q&A can delight your audience and give you some business!

 

Real estate video is amazing for driving engagement. Once you identify your goals and the best way to get there you can begin making a plan and creating your content! Each video type will work for certain situations.

Creating a variety of video types for real estate will give you enough content to stay fresh. But also, will also target specific stages of the funnel and therefore keep those people engaged.

Getting the perfect shot and knowing the layout for the video are only a few elements that you need to create a real estate video. Next thing to do is to get the content and edit it into the style you need.

There are many tools you can use to do this, both free and paid versions are available for everyone to use. Here we’ll go through some options.

Video editing is a highly competitive field, Adobe is the ruler of the paid video editing land. With multiple options at various price points and level of difficulty in the use.

Adobe Premiere Pro is the best known product followed by Rush which is now available on android! Although these can be expensive, the results are top quality.

Getting used to the programme may take some time but if you are serious about investing in video marketing, this is top of the market tool to use. You can also watch the video marketing guide for beginners if you want a great start.

Many of the best paid options for video run trials, these can be two weeks where you get access to the product to try it out. If you’re not sure which is best for you, this is a good way to get a feel for the features and to come away with a video at the end of it.

Of course you could upgrade if you like it, but if you don’t want to pay you need another option.

Applications such as KineMaster or iMovie allow for video editing for free or practically free. These are great options for the video editor novice.

If you’re looking for a tool that will allow you to create top quality video then look no further than Design Wizard.

You can use the video timeline to play around with the layout of the real estate video, add animation to bring your video text to life.

You can integrate your brand through customisation and even upload your own video! After using the really user friendly programme you can download you video and use it straight away!

With multiple options at your fingertips you can ensure that you get the desired video at whatever price suits you. The battle between the paid and free options will always be present.

Whichever tool you use is up to you, pick the one you feel comfortable with and no doubt you’ll end up with something amazing!

Everyone is always told to think outside the box, but there’s a problem with this. What happens to all the stuff inside the box?

Yes, being different is important but if you become a bit too different it may turn potential customers away.

Trying to find a happy middle ground is the best thing to do, different enough to stand out, normal enough to be approachable!

If trying to figure out what makes you different from everybody else gives you a headache, just know you’re not the only one.

People often think that to be different is impossible when every player in the game is doing the same thing.

Look at your brand and you’ll find out what makes you different soon enough, it may be the way you interact with potential clients, how you show case houses, the type of properties you sell etc.

But the best thing you can use to differentiate yourself is your branding. In video you can include your logo, your company colours, even your business values.

All of these elements will create a genuine feeling among the viewers!

People value genuine efforts. If you create content with the audience in mind they are more inclined to consume it.

By doing this you can capitalize on all the potential leads who are looking for a bit of human help when beginning their real estate journey.

Most companies focus on creating new leads and often forget to use what they have to their advantage.

Retargeting those who had previously expressed interest can be a means to closing a sale.

Using social media and tracking features to see who’s viewing your video can allow you obtain more qualified leads and maybe even some sales! You also learn how to make a commercial video that can help you to increase your sales.

Creative content and strategy go hand in hand. By having a strategy to cover all elements of the funnel with content that is distinguishable to your company, you allow each aspect to get some content that they will take value from.

Don’t focus too much on one avenue, include creative content to target each funnel stage and you’re on to a winner.

Storytelling is the art of bringing your audience on a journey through words, images, voice or video. People love hearing stories and some love telling them.

Either way, whether you’re a teller or a viewer there is always value to take from the art of storytelling.

Stories offer lessons that people can relate to their own lives. Why not make your content relatable?

How about telling a story that brings viewers on a journey from interest to buyer.

One innovative thing you could do is track a client journey from initial meetings to closing a deal.

Highlighting their ideals for the type of property they initially wanted, going to view some houses, the bid process and negotiations, right up to the point of closing the sale.

This journey can be broken into separate sections or one long video.

This will interest those trying to get on the property ladder. It is the perfect way to show the realistic journey people will take, the ups and the downs, an authentic journey with a terrific ending.

What’s more inspiring than seeing something you could do yourself?

Everyone loves a happy story and what’s happier than seeing people achieving things like getting their first home or their first business property?

Every property has a past and more importantly they have a future.

With a bit of creativity you can set the scene of what could be, a family in their new house with a garden and a dog, or a couple proudly cutting the ribbon at the opening of their new cafe.

The opportunities are endless. One thing is for sure, people love hope and people love happiness.

By focusing on what could be or selling the dream in your real estate video, you create a happy feeling not just selling a house.

If you look at viral videos, they are all something that evokes emotion, you could be laughing, crying or shouting at the phone, but the thing to note is that you react.

Reactions drive engagement and that’s what you want on social media.

Video is an outstanding way to tell a story so get your real estate business set up now!

Video can also have a higher impact if combined with other media: text, images and audio.

Your real estate video is exactly that – yours. Yes, you are trying to connect with a wider audience on focus on topics or themes that they are interested in but you also need to feature your business.

After all there is no point in creating a beautiful real estate video that everyone love if there’s no benefit for you. These benefits don’t need to sales (obviously we hope they are), they can be new leads, brand awareness and good engagement. Your CTA should always bring the audience back to your site. 

The best advocates for your real estate business should be the people involved, staff, clients, partners. Each section should be happy to speak positively about the company.

Being awkward in front of a camera is completely normal but if they are willing, you should absolutely feature some staff. Even if it’s just showing them while they work on their own or collaboratively with others.

Having a face to put to a name can be beneficial for business as it proves that there are actual humans talking to them and not just a robot.

Using different staff members, from the various sections and levels, creates a genuine feel. Your staff know your business the best let them be the focus, without them your real estate business might not be as great!

Each business no matter how big or how small, has achieved something they are proud of. It might be your first hire, your first sale, an industry award or having pizza delivered to the office (hey everyone has different standards).

Whatever these achievements are you should tell the world about it. A quick 20 second showcasing this gives the public some insight into the type of company you are.

Imagine doing an end of year and being able to see all the amazing things that have happened that year. Now imagine how awesome that would be for someone considering working with you?

Your business should always be included in every video you produce. You could create a company intro or outro that features your logo and colours.

These little touches are something that brings the video back to your real estate business. If nothing else video will improve your SEO performance for Google.

Real estate video marketing can combine brand awareness and sales but be patient, sometimes sales can be a marathon and not a sprint. 

Like your real estate video marketing efforts, the best way to sell a property is to focus on what makes itdifferent from what else is on the real estate market.

Is there a quirky feature, is it from a certain era, does it have positive prospects. Whatever it is there’s something good to focus on in each situation. 

Every home has something that people will love. As houses have a story, they are easy to create a narrative around. You might think some of the characteristics are basic but detail is what will make the possibility of it becoming your house a reality.

The three bedrooms are perfect for families, the high ceiling in the living room with the feature fireplace is ideal for entertaining. The underfloor heating ensures you can be cozy no matter what time of the year it is.

All these little touches are necessary but be wary of laying it on too thick, you don’t want to be too cheesy.

Selling a site can be a bit more tricky in real estate, you don’t necessarily have a lot to work with. But what you can do is sell the very possible dream.

This bit of land is not just earth, it can be your dream house, the perfect space for your animals, it is whatever you want it to be and more. You can discuss the area, the landscape and the amenities in order to show what is possible.

One thing to be wary of is to limit the possibilities. If you keep your real estate video open with room for imagination for the land, it’ll be great!

If your real estate company has building to lease or sell for business you have to be sure that there is a possibility for a viable business. In this type of real estate video you could showcase the buildings facilities, is there a professional kitchen or a vast storage space.

You could identify the best types business to take over the building. By also including the surrounding area you can see what is missing, is it a small community that have no where for a great coffee or is it an industrial estate with no car repair shop?

Giving a few ideas may inspire people to make a decision to take the leap for themselves!

Each building and piece of land are different which should be highlighted in your real estate video marketing efforts. Inspire and delight, if nothing else, start a conversation and see what comes from it!

Real estate video marketing doesn’t have to be just about the listing. Think about it, when you think of buying or renting somewhere you don’t think of just the property itself.

You think about the area, the people and the things to do surrounding the place. You wouldn’t want to commit to a place to find that it has nothing for miles! 

Building a group around a particular place is a major achievement in today’s world. Communities support their local business and each other. When looking for a property people want to know what they can be welcomed.

Being part of a neighborhood provides an opportunity for the buyers to socialise and make new friends in the area. Including scenes of community events like street parties or local fairs will present the region is a very positive light.

Even the worst parts of the world have some positivity to be found, if you can find something that you think will represent the neighbourhood in a good way then include it in the video!

As was previously stated the features of the locality need to be included in the video. Most prospects have a checklist of things they want to have in the area. Shops, parks, schools, good transport connections and attractions are the usual list attendees.

So if you want to sell the dream of the locality you can include scenes of the cinema, supermarket and all the cool things that would make a prospect happy to see.

Base what you show on the vibe of the property you are selling. If you’re selling a penthouse apartment in New York, chances are the prospective buyers are more interested in the local restaurants and bars than the schools.

Safety is such an important factor for buyers. If your listing is in an area that is safe you have to show that off.

Crime rates and feel of the place can be deciding factors, so make sure that you show the best part of the region.

You must also find a balance between focusing on the positive but being realistic with the situation. If you ignore the negative aspects it may come back to haunt you but these don’t need to be in your video.

It is very difficult to convey the right message to the right people if you don’t know who you’re talking to.

Using metrics to establish the types of personas that could suit each listing and transferring that onto the various locations for your video to be published on.

Knowing this information will optimize the return on the video marketing investment.

If you have listings where the target market would be families you need to figure out where this group spend their time. Based on families of parents between the ages of 26-32 you can be sure they’ll be researching on websites and social media.

They’ll be on Facebook or Instagram sharing pictures of their children and animals showing their lifestyles and twitter to voice their opinion on whatever topic.

To get the attention of this group you should be posting on social, targeted ads may be a good option as you can specify the exact requirements you want. You could also display your video on parent support websites!

The first time moving out of home can be exciting and daunting. But much like the families your video should be used on social media for this group to see.

Other YouTube Video Ideas could include pre-roll advertisements and college accommodation sites. Obvious choices for display ads is any website that features many different properties available in a specific area.

Most millennials and Gen Z’ers use mobile to watch video, have you video compatible for mobile, tablet and desktop to cover all bases.

Social media may not be the main area to showcase the video when trying to target the 65+ age group. When trying to reach out to this age group could be done through advertising on YouTube and on websites for seniors.

Facebook is also popular with this age group with 37% of people aged 65 and over in the US using this social media platform.

There have been a variety of new technologies coming on board in video marketing the last few years. Recently, real estate relied on traditional means to connect with consumers.

Open houses and For Sale signs are still a good idea, don’t get me wrong. We’ve come up with a list of new technologies that are new to real estate marketing, but still feasible to do on a limited budget. 

360 real estate video is video recording that takes in every direction at the same time. It captures the complete 360 degrees of the scene. Sounds cool right? Better yet these videos are driving engagement, 360° videos are viewed 29% more than the same video in 2D.

This video type is so fresh and modern. Creating a 360° view of a room in a house will attract attention and engagement in your real estate video.

You can buy a special camera to shoot these! 360 is an emerging video type that will transform video on social media. If you use 360 in your real estate video you’ll be ahead of the game!

Drones can take breathtaking images and video footage of real estate and local areas, this allows future buyers of real estate to view the region and see the neighbourhood that they could be living in.

Before drones, aerial photography was the only way to show a birds eye view of the real estate. Drone video footage differentiates real estate listings from the competition, aerial images sold 68% faster than homes with standard images.

Drones can be used to highlight details of the property, taking shots from 200ft to 2ft away.

Artificial intelligence is an innovative way to show off your listing in a creative way with the latest and greatest technology.

Not only can this save your business the effort of having multiple viewings and meeting various people at different times to relay the same information, but it will make your real estate business modern and tech savvy.

The AI tour could be a walk through of the listing that could be published on the landing page of the property.

Technology is there to make our lives easier, why not use it to differentiate your real estate business while also appearing current.

These technologies may seem expensive but as the market is constantly evolving the prices don’t stay high for long. 

People buy from people, if you don’t present yourself in a good light , people will be less inclined to buy from you.

Only 4% of consumers pick their real estate agent based on the brand they were affiliated to, 96% choose the agent.

People do business with those they trust and with people they remember. Communicate effectively in your video through body language, tone and voice.

Using video with your Real estate marketing, will allow you to create a favourable and memorable relationship with the buyer, as they feel they know you already.

As the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. People relate video with an emotive response by appealing to the buyers needs and desires.

Learn to make a youtube video about friendly environment for your real estate marketing video with a smile and a funny relatable story. Be polished but not too formal, while you need to portray a professional manner, you don’t need to be stiff in your video.

The introduction needs to be inspiring, entertaining and informative. Share some of your humour or open with a catchy introduction to yourself. Be bright and bubbly but only if it suits who you are as a person.

It goes without saying, no one wants to watch an uninteresting real estate marketing video but no one wants to watch an awkward video.

Here’s a question for you, Do you include your contact information in your posts? Well, with real estate marketing videos, you need to lead a horse to water.

Add your contact details to the title and descriptions of your video on Youtube and Facebook. Make yourself easy to find with a link back to your website. The title and description that are on Youtube are the same title and description as on Google.

When your information is on Google, you are easily found from your video. Your video and your website should be representative of you and your real estate business, don’t be afraid to include them!

Creating video can be difficult and appearing on camera will always be awkward the first few times. But if practice and be yourself, there’s no reason to be awkward or shy.

The best thing you can do is be relatable, if you make a mistake or fumble your words it can be endearing rather than embarrassing. Take your time and practice in the mirror if you’re not feeling confident.

You’re the best version of you so don’t try and create a fake persona!

Well there you have it, the 13 top tips to get you from a complete novice to a real estate video marketing expert. Video marketing is such a vast field there are so many different methods, topics, themes and genres you could try out.

One thing to be sure to do is, make sure your introduction stands out, people are unlikely to watch the full video if they aren’t inspired by the first few seconds of the video.

The best way to go about real estate video is to identify your needs, your target market, your video budget, your level of skills and the time you have to commit to your video project.

Once the answers to these are known you can get started with the project. As the saying goes, “try and try again.”

Make video marketing part of your real estate marketing strategy and you won’t regret it. So what are you still doing here? Go and get ‘em tiger!